It was another busy week for Donald Trump's lawyers. On Monday, they asked the Supreme Court to delay Trump's federal election interference case while Trump presses his far-fetched immunity claim, a legal gambit which could prove consequential if the high court agrees to hear the case. On Thursday, Trump attended a hearing in the hush money case brought by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. Judge Juan Merchan set a trial date for March 25; this will be the first-ever criminal trial of a former president in U.S. history. Meanwhile in Georgia, things took a surprise turn when Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis took the stand to forcefully deny that she improperly benefited from her relationship with a special prosecutor. The hearing could have major implications for Trump in his Georgia election interference case. Finally, on Friday, Judge Arthur Engoron ordered Trump to pay over $350 million in the New York civil fraud case and barred him from doing business in New York for three years. The ruling is a devastating blow for Trump, and could be a powerful predictor of what's to come in his criminal cases.
It was also a consequential week for House Republicans. On Tuesday, Democrat Tom Suozzi won a New York special election to replace George Santos, shrinking the House GOP's already razor-thin majority. Just hours before Suozzi's victory, House Republicans impeached Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas in a 214-213 vote, marking the first time in nearly 150 years that a Cabinet secretary has been impeached. But House Republicans seeking to build an impeachment case against the president suffered a major setback on Thursday when a key confidential FBI informant was federally indicted for lying to investigators about Joe Biden and his son, Hunter.
On the campaign trail, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley called out Trump for attempting to "take" the election by endorsing his daughter-in-law for RNC co-chair. Haley also called out Trump's defense of Russian President Vladimir Putin while weighing in on the death of jailed Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny.
And in yet another example of America's seemingly inescapable cycle of mass shootings, one person was killed and 22 others injured on Wednesday after a shooting at the end of the Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl victory parade in downtown Kansas City, Missouri.
Missed something? Don't worry. Here are our select columns and videos from the week. And don't forget to check out MSNBC.com for more.
